The use of zippers of all types and sizes for fashion apparel is so prevalent today that it’s hard to believe that this American invention is just over a century old. Imagine a time when all clothes had to be buttoned up or tied closed!

Elias Howe, the inventor of the sewing machine, submitted a patent for an "Automatic, Continuous Clothing Closure" in 1851, but the idea of such a mechanical closure wasn’t widely known until Whitcomb Judson brought a "Clasp Locker" to the Chicago World’s fair in 1893. Finally, in 1917 Gideon Sundback of the Universal Fastener Company created the "Separable Fastener," or the modern zipper as we know it.

Of course, I’m sure that none of these genius inventors could have anticipated that a century after their collective work irrevocably changed the look and form of fashion--that zippers themselves would be appreciated for their aesthetic value! In 2007, Marc Jacobs introduced adorable ballet flats and boots with zipper teeth rosettes, and the February issue of Teen Vogue featured one of Kate Cusack’s zipper pins. Hardware has never been more chic!